Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 17, by Yuki Kure

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May, 2013

Volumes: 17

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 16.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every few years, the prestigious Seisou Academy holds a prominent musical competition, and only the very best students at the Academy are allowed to participate. Though all are eligible to apply, only students from the music department actually make it to the competition...until now. While Len studies the violin in Europe, Kahoko swears to keep him in her heart…as her musical inspiration, that is. But could he be something more? Kahoko finds it harder and harder to deny her feelings, but the boys of Seisou Academy seem bent on making her forget about Len. At long last, it’s time for her to make a choice—for music and for love.

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

What Will I Miss?:

• The characters. I grew very attached, and feel very fondly for all of them. I'm going to miss them.

Review:

This was a nice ending, simple, a little not as solid as I wanted, but still good.

A big conclusion for Kahoko and several of her friends, a simple confession between her and Len, some growing for Kahoko. I think I maybe wanted a little more solidity, but it was still nice.

Either way, I am going to miss this series. It was fun and very cute, and I grew very attached to the characters. I’m going to miss all of them a lot. I want more, but I’m satisfied.

I guess I don’t have much to say, aside from that I enjoyed this series, am satisfied, and will miss it.

Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 16, by Yuki Kure

Rating (Out of 5):  ~4 (maybe 4.5)

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 17

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every few years, the prestigious Seisou Academy holds a prominent musical competition, and only the very best students at the Academy are allowed to participate. Though all are eligible to apply, only students from the music department actually make it to the competition...until now. On the eve of her big music competition, Kahoko should be getting some much-needed sleep…but she can’t stop thinking about Len. When Len reveals just how soon he’s leaving to study abroad, suddenly Kahoko can’t concentrate on music. Can she and Len admit how much they mean to each other before it’s too late? And can Kahoko still turn in a performance worthy of her training?

Review:

I really quite love this series. After I read a volume, and maybe because it takes so long for the next one to come out and even longer for me to get it, I tend to forget just how much I like it. But then I get the next one, and I read it, and I remember how much I love the characters and the story. And, you guys, there’s only one volume left! And it’s possible that, according to Amazon, we’ll be waiting until May! … I just… I wanted to cry after I found that out. I didn’t, because I’m not a crier, but trust me, my inner fangirl was sobbing. I’m not surprised, as I was expecting it to take a while, but that’s just…that’s so long. That’s almost a whole school year, you guys.

This was kind of a slow volume, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It continues the music competition from the last volume, as well as the little drama of Len leaving. Ryotaro performs first and then, later that night, Kahoko stops by Len’s house. She’s not really sure why, just feels that she has to give him his gift right now, and he’s understandably surprised. That’s when he tells her that he’s, you know, leaving tomorrow. She handles it rather well, even while being upset about the fact that he was just going to leave, without saying anything. He chases after her, but finds her talking with Ryotaro and doesn’t interrupt. Ryotaro drops her off at home, and then picks her up in the morning, the day of her performance.

Everyone wishes her congratulations, and find out that Len is leaving that day (most of who didn’t know). Kahoko has a small freak out, and her performance starts out rough but ends much better. During the performance, she wonders if Len is going to show up, as he promised and said he doesn’t break promises, and then she wonders where Ryotaro is (as he’s gone to find Len), and finally sees them up near the entrance, as they showed up late.

After her performance, Len leaves her flowers with Ryotaro, as he has to get to the airport, and she goes chasing after him. She just barely catches up to him, just long enough for a small farewell and for him to give her his jacket.

And then the last quarter of the volume is taken up with La Corda d’Oro 3. I really want to like this story and the characters, and I kind of do, but I just… I haven’t been with these characters for sixteen volumes, okay? I’ve seen them for a couple of volumes now, and they are interesting and different from La Corda d’Oro. I’m just not as invested in them. After getting caught up with Kahoko and the others for most of the volume, I’m not ready to give up that much time for a different storyline and different characters. Especially so close to the end. There’s one volume left. I want that last volume, really badly; I really want to see what happens; I don’t want to focus on some other, minor characters. Maybe if I was reading more about them, but I’m not, it’s just tiny pieces, extra chapters at the end of the book. Also, most of the chapter focuses on characters that are not the ones we originally met, which just made me a bit confused till the end. And I don’t like that it’s setting up for a bigger storyline, characters that I could care about, when I’m not going to get to see very much of them. There’s only one more book for them to be in, and I’m pretty sure the video game isn’t released over here, or in English, so… Well, after looking, I guess Kure started a series over in Japan starring them last year, but who knows if that'll get published over here and how long that'll take.

Mainly, I just want to focus on Kahoko and the others. Particularly the Kahoko and Len storyline, as I really enjoy them together, but I like all of the other characters as well, so I’m looking forward to the end, even if it’ll be upsetting that it’s all over.

Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 15, by Yuki Kure

Rating (Out of 5): ~4 - 4.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 17

Goodreads Synopsis:

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences T. 

Every few years, the prestigious Seisou Academy holds a prominent musical competition, and only the very best students at the Academy are allowed to participate. Though all are eligible to apply, only students from the music department actually make it to the competition...until now.

As Len leaves Japan to study abroad, Kahoko struggles with the changes in her own life. Can she find a way to say farewell to Len before it’s too late? Can she ace the upcoming music contest without Len’s tutoring—or the help of her magic violin? And what will she do when both Ryotaro and Azuma decide it’s time to make a move?

Review:

I really did miss this series. I believe I stated this in my previous review, but it's so true. I love all of the characters, and it's so nice to get to read about them again. They're all just so great, and different, and fun, and I'm glad that I got to read two volume so close together (and, um, upset that the next one isn't out till August, but oh well).

Quite a bit of the volumes lately seem to be taken up with other things, that don't have to do with the main story. And, while I enjoy these stories, I also kind of want the story to get moving, or to get to see it moving more in a volume.

The first chapter of this volume, for example, is a small special about Keiichi's sister, who came to visit, and pretends to be him in order to see the friends he told her about and fangirl over them. This was very cute, though. She's older than Keiichi, but looks almost like his twin, and is very different. She gets very excited and loves clothes, and makes all of his friends frilly outfits to wear. Also, I love that we're getting to see all these things about Keiichi, since he's usually so aloof and blank-faced and asleep. It's nice to see him interacting with others, and doing things that people wouldn't expect.

His sister also mentions to him that Kahoko's cute, which makes it seem like he's interested. I really hope he's not, because there are enough guys wanting her.

Aside from that, the volume starts with Kahoko and Len practicing, and him walking her home. They do a little shopping along the way, and I believe that Kahoko buys a going-away present for him. They play some more. And Len comes to realize his feelings for her. Which is huge and exciting, and yes! Love it.

In the next chapter, Kahoko helps Kazuki take some pictures for the newspaper/year book, while waiting for a music room to open up. Azuma joins them when he sees Kahoko's discomfort around him. He bothers her some more, and she realizes that he doesn't hate her, which perhaps bothers her even more. When she leaves, Kazuki and Azuma talk about her, and how Kazuki likes her but is afraid to confess. Kazuki doesn't believe that there will be any distance between them when he graduates, and Azuma tells him that they'll be going to the same school after graduation (which is exciting, since that means he's going to take up music, despite what his family wants).

At the end of that chapter, and the beginning of the next, Kahoko and Len talk and tease a bit, which is super cute and sweet. I love them. I think that they're really good together, that Kahoko pushes Len just the right amount, and makes him open up, which is nice. On the other hand, though, there's Ryotaro, who is also good with her. (There are other people, of course, that are possibilities, but I think those two are the ones that work best, or at least are the most likely to happen, no matter how much I love the other characters as well.) Nami (the newspaper girl) talks with Ryotaro, mentioning that Kahoko and Len have been getting close lately. (Maybe something with happen between those two? Maybe that could work, and would make me feel less bad?)

We become aware that there's only a week left, till Len leaves (I believe?), and Len and Ryotaro talk some more. I like their relationship. It's sweet, and fun, and while they both like Kahoko, they're not mean about it or anything, even if they do insult each other. They're got an odd friendship, and I like it. The chapter ends with Len promising to come to the competition that Kahoko is participating in.

It's becoming apparent that Kahoko is going to get hurt when Len leaves, and Ryotaro has a talk with him about it. It's also obvious that Len is going to miss her (which is so sweet!). But Len tells him that he's not going to tell her, whatever it is that he's has to tell her (maybe that he's leaving sooner than she thinks?) after the competition, so as not to mess it up for her.

The volume ends with them going in to the competition, which is so very mean. I want to know what happens! There are only two volumes left, and I want to find out what happens!

There's an extra chapter at the end about La Corda d'Oro 3, which is the new video game that was coming out in Japan at the time, I guess. We got to meet the characters in it, which was interesting. They were all rather different, and did catch my interest, but my attention was mostly on the main story, because I wanted more of it. And it made it sound like we would be seeing them again? As in, there might be more extras with them in it in the next volume? Or just as in, if you go and play the game? While they were interesting to me, and I was glad they were so different (even with the same general plot, of going to the same school and being surrounded by boys), I just want more of Kahoko and her crew. I want to know what happens! (But there's such a long wait!)
Sidenote: I noticed that Shoko isn't in with the characters descriptions. Because there isn't enough space, maybe? This bothers me. But there should be several other characters in there, like maybe the teachers and Nami. With the people that are mentioned, it makes it seem like the only important people are Kahoko and the boy falling for her. Which might be the case, but shouldn't be.

Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 14, by Yuki Kure

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 17

Goodreads Synopsis:

  At Seisou’s annual school festival, hearts are pumping, blood is pounding...and Kahoko’s love life is heating up. Ryotaro takes a break from the sports competition to make a private confession, Aoi asks Kahoko to play Juliet to his Romeo in the class play and even Len lets slip that he has human emotions. But before Kahoko can decide where her heart lies, she has another problem to tackle—the festival’s big music recital!

Review:

I really like this series. I watched the anime several years ago, and then started the series. And it's been so long since volume 13 came out, plus it was hard to find this volume, so it was a little weird to be reading it again. Good, because I missed it, but I couldn't remember completely what had happened last time. I did miss the characters, though, so it was nice to get to read about them again. (But I just noticed that it's complete in Japan now, with only three volumes left! Does that mean we won't have so long to wait for the next one?)

In this volume, the school is focusing on their school festival. In the first chapter, they have sports day, where Ryotaro, Aoi, Kazuki, and Keiichi are competing. They had a little competition going on, which was fun. (It was a surprise to see Keiichi competing, doing something sporty. Later in the volume, he sings, too. We're learning all kinds of things about him in this volume.) Also, Ryotaro talks to Kahoko when she gets hurt, and says that he has something to tell her, but it can wait until after the music contest.

By the end of the volume, he still hasn't told her, and she's been worried about it the whole time. She wants to know what it is, and even guesses that it's about him liking her, but then pushes that thought away. I'm excited for it. Also, what everyone else will think. Aoi has been openly flirting with her, and asks her to the dance with him (which she says yes to). Kazuki is always paying attention to her. It also seems like Len is thinking about her more often. Romantic feelings are all over the place, and I'm hoping something big happens with them soon. (Honestly, I love all of them, Kazuki and Ryotaro especially, but I'm Team Len. I think she would work best with him.)

In the next chapter, they start talking more about the contest, and practicing. Kahoko finds out that Aoi used to play the violin, but now plays the viola, even as he denies that he's any good. (He has mixed feelings about it for some reason, and I'm curious to find out why.) He also doesn't want anyone to know, but everyone finds out, accidentally, and Kohako pushes him to perform. They do a, not-very-good, impromptu concert. We also get to see Aoi in his Romeo costume, as his class is doing the play, Azuma and Kazuki in suits, for, I think, a cafe, and Keiichi dressed as a ghost for the haunted house.

Also, Ryotaro and Len talk some, where Len asks what Ryotaro likes about Kahoko, and he tells him something about his going abroad. I'm thinking it's that he's leaving earlier than expected, but it isn't said.

In the last chapter, they all perform (for some reason, all but Len in a group, with Len doing two songs after them), and then go to the dance. Kahoko dances, a little, with Keiichi, then Aoi, and then Kazuki (who blushes; he is so adorable), and after the dance, with Azuma, who also harasses her a little.

Throughout the volume, there are three short stories. Two of them are with the rest of the chapters, and are just fun things about sports day and the school festival. In one, we find out that Kazuki is hoping to be a music teacher, which I guessed and makes total sense; in the other, Len is offended by everyone's reaction to him never having tried Takoyaki. At the end, there's one about Kanazawa and Akihiko (another teacher, I think? I don't remember...), who is related to Kiriya, who we met in the last volume. Kiriya is apparently planning on applying for the school next year.

I like this series. It's really good, and I love all of the characters. But it's starting to bother me a little bit, how many guys are falling for Kahoko. Almost all of them, if not all, have feelings for her, and it's a little ridiculous. I mean, yea, I do like Kahoko, but that's a bit much.

Still, I'm looking forward to the next one (which I already have, so that will be up very soon), and especially for when the boys confess. I want to see that happen, and am hoping Ryotaro does it in the next book.